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Monday, November 19, 2007

Raps lose a close one 106-100 to the Jazz. TJ Ford Offence in full effect:22 shots...Game high 29 pts from the starting point guard! Too many times Bosh was pushed outside the paint...almost to the three point line on his post ups. C'mon Bosh Stephen Jackson is guarding you not Kevin Garnett. Not the way to win ballgames. I think the goal of Toronto's point guards should be 20 assists...forget the points because this team has enough shooters...Toronto got rid of Mike James because he was a SHOOT FIRST point guard...so TJ has to be a PASS FIRST distributor and facilitator! Jason Kapono, Andrea Bargnani and the rest of the players need to get in rhythm and that job falls to TJ and Jose Calderon. Anthony Parker was 2 of 8 from the field finishing with a measly 5 points. As a shooting guard Parker has to be more consistent. It seems that Parker is "programmed" to shot the jump shot or 3 point shot. He can't seem to fake...drive...jab step and pump fake at all. He consistently just sits outside and bombs threes even with guys running out at him. I know Pro ballers are taught to block out the player closing out... but how bout the old fake shot...and run into the player trying to close out on you and get the foul play? Come on Mr. Parker you look like a robot out there...change it up and make yourself multi-dimensional. Right now Parker is one-dimensional at best. Not sure what coach Mitchell is doing with all these different starting lineups...but in my opinion he has to have a consistent rotation and stick to it...because guys seem confused...one game in...another out...One game start and another off the bench. Consistency from the head coach will help this ball team get back on track.

Sunday, November 4, 2007

I must say that I don't think I have enjoyed a Raptors game more than I did the absolute annihilation of the vaunted Nets squad on Friday night. It couldn't have happenend to a better team either. Wow! I can't say that I saw this coming...but remember what I said after they almost blew the opener against Philly. I wanted to see this team develop a "killer instinct" to stomp on a team's neck and blow a team out. It seems that after this victory over the Nets that we have a new kind of Raptor team. A team that wants to make a statement to the NBA. A statement that says...if teams are going to take them lightly...they are going to get "DUSTED". The game was tremendous if you are a Raptors fan...tremendous ball movement. Great shooting...tough chest to chest defence...great bench play...tremendous running of the offence by Jose Calderon...Great hustle by Carlos Delfino...and Rasho Nesterovich playing like his years in Minnesota. I must say...I know that the Pistons are a stacked team and there just wasn't enough playing time for him...but my oh my is Delfino a player! He looks like he's sleepwalking out there but he is actually "playing harm". At the 5:40 mark of the game against Jersey...the Raptors bench had scored 27 of the team's 41 points. That's 66% of the offence from the 2nd stringers...which included Delfino...Rasho and a scorching Juan Dixon. Simply put...this team is the deepest in the L by far. Spots 6-12 of the Raptors are incomparable as far as NBA benches go. As for Calderon...again I see this team being run so much better when he is on the court than when TJ Ford is running the show. Against the Nets and TJ starting the game...the Raptors got off to a sluggish start...Then when Jose came in at the end of the 1st...the team started to play alot better as Jose got the offence flowing and got the rock to the his teammates where and when they like to receive it. Simply put...Jose is a better Quarterback for this team than TJ. Mark my words...there will be a point guard controversy on this team before the year is up. At some point Jose will be starting for the Raptors at point...or if not starting he will end up playing more minutes than TJ at the Point.

Chris Bosh is starting to get into form after battling through pre-season knee troubles...and he really is playing well...did you see his rebounding and blocks in the Jersey game...he was all over the glass like a Windex specialist...the box score shows only 2 blocks for Bosh...but he changed alot of other shots as well. CB4 looks like he's on a mission to prove that even though Kevin Garnett is now in the East...that he is the best big man in the East. The so-called experts have KG and Dwight Howard rated higher than Bosh...they must be nuts. Bosh is a stud plain and simple...and we in Toronto are spoiled because we see him everyday. The league will start noticing his abilities soon enough.

Il Mago...do you know who that is NBA? Well you better pay attention to the 2006 #1 overall pick...this is his season to breakout and become a sensation. After 2 games Andrea Bargnani looks like a different baller than the one who came into the league as a rookie last year with a deer in the headlights look. He's stronger...more relaxed and seems to have an edge to his game this season. 2 games in and Bargnani is the leading scorer for the Raptors. He's tough in the post and he's playing tremendous defence inside...using his 7 foot frame to alter shots in the paint. Against Jersey he had no registered blocks...but to me it seemed like he had at least 3 or 4. Did you see the threes Bargnani hit in the game? Lord have mercy...especially the one over Darrell Armstrong where he pumped and jabbed twice then drained the trifecta to add insult to injury. I mean...Bargnani's range is unlimited. He's hitting shots at least a foot and a half behind the line. It's bad enough that centers and power forwards have to come out and guard a big man beyond the arc...but against Bargnani they are pretty much guarding him at half court! Unbelievable.

Let me break down some more stats on the game:

Biggest blowout on the road for the Raptors in team history.

28 assists...to only 19 for Jason Kidd and the Nets.

Only 12 turnovers...compared to 19 for the Nets...Calderon and Ford...15 assists and only 3 turnovers combined...with Jose laying a goose egg in the turnover category.

1st opening road win since November 5th, 1999 which was coincidentally against these same Nets.

Raps shot 59% from the three point line!!!! They shot 50% overall for the game.

They out rebounded the Nets 37-34 which is crucial for the team.Delfino and Bargnani tied for the team lead with 6 boards each.

My STAT OF THE GAME was steals...Toronto had 10 for the game and is more active this year...trying to force more turnovers. Delfino led the team with 4 and Dixon and Calderon had 2 apiece.

Also, Jorge Garbajosa continues to ride the pine. 6 minutes for him in the ballgame...that makes 12 minutes in total in the first two games. Is this just precaution from the Raptors coaching staff or is there some tension between Jorge and the organization over his decision to play in the Euros in his home country of Spain? The Garbo watch continues.

Overall this was a tremendous game for the Raptors. In my opinion it was one of the best games in franchise history. To go into New Jersey and thoroughly destroy a team that is picked to be in the hunt for the Atlantic Division crown and picked as one of the top teams in the east is a great accomplishment. The Nets looked old and slow...except for Richard Jefferson. Wince Carter wanted no part of Delfino and his physical defence...as the former Raptor scored a measly 7 points on only 6 shots on a night when he scored his 15,000th point. This game sends a message to the rest of the NBA and especially the Eastern conference. The TORONTO RAPTORS are for real!

Big game today against the Celtics! I guess that's an understatement. Personally I think the Raptors will trounce the Celts...especially if they play with the intensity that they brought against the Nets. Boston has the "Big Three" but not much else. Plus Toronto doesn't like to lose at home. That is a fact. After the Celtics game the Raps play 3-of-4 on the road so a win at home today is key because the team wants to get out on the road with momentum on their side.

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